HVAC contractors have a difficult task of balancing customer communication with technical service calls. Missed calls obviously translate to missed business, with studies indicating that 85% of customers that a business misses their call will never call back. Managing an HVAC company involves juggling fieldwork, emergency repairs, and office management – all while delivering fantastic customer service!
Many contractors are already spread thin trying to handle it all, especially during the seasonal peaks where call volume can increase by as much as 30-40%. This is where tailored support comes in. An HVAC AI answering service from Signpost can offer 24/7 customer service support, appointment setting, and emergency dispatch without the need for more in-house workers.
Establishing an appropriate balance between personalized attention and streamlined operations is the key to expanding an HVAC business. Knowing when answering services are cost-effective. And when they are not, they can help contractors make sensible decisions about how to handle their communication needs.
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When HVAC Contractors Require Answering Services
During Peak Seasons
HVAC companies get a surge in calls during weather extremes. Incoming calls from customers with urgent needs can double or triple during summer heatwaves and winter cold snaps. It is reported that HVAC companies get around 65% of their total service calls in only 4 months out of the year. Answering services can help to handle these ebbs and flows without having to bring on seasonal staff.
After-Hours Emergency Calls
HVAC crises happen outside business hours. A janitorial family with no heat in January or AC in August needs immediate redress. Your answering service should answer for you when potential new customers call your local number during office hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Saturday.
When Growing Your Business
Widening service regions or pursuing new service lines amplifies call volumes. Call answering services let HVAC pros leverage more hands on deck when it comes to calls, but without the added expense of additional office employees to keep things running smoothly as they grow.
When HVAC Contractors Do Not Require Answering Services
Small Service Volume
If you are doing 5-10 calls per day, so may not benefit from using an answering service. Based on data from small business research, businesses with less than 20 weekly customer interactions are also often able to handle communications efficiently through a direct phone line.
Strong Administrative Team
If you have an HVAC company with office staff that makes quick work of calls and scheduling, and customer service during normal business hours, you may not need to use full-time answering services.
Specialized Client Base
Contractors who work mostly with commercial clients, or who work under long-term contracts, often have processes in place to keep unexpected calls to a minimum. Most of these businesses are predictable in terms of service times, and they don’t need full-time telephone coverage (constant coverage) either.
Streamline Your Process With Answering Service!
An answering service can change the way HVAC contractors deal with their day-to-day activities by:
- Turning all your new leads into appointments
- Dispatching service calls according to emergency and client category
- Detailed service histories for every customer
- Efficiently sending technicians to jobs with full information
Time is money for HVAC contractors. Studies have shown that with professional call handling, administrative time can be cut by up to 15 percent, and technicians can get one additional service call per day.
The use of an answering service also establishes continuity for the customer. No matter when they call or how busy your team is with other service requests, every caller is given immediate, professional attention.
Whether or not you use an answering service will depend on your HVAC company’s unique requirements, stage of growth, and service delivery model. The vast majority of contractors who struggle with seasonal changes in business activity, emergency calls, and company growth find that answering services are an integral tool in ensuring that customers are satisfied and that your business runs efficiently.